Buy RTL-SDR Dongles (RTL2832U)

Where to Buy RTLSDR RTL2832U DVB-T Tuner Dongles

At RTL-SDR.com we sell significantly improved premium RTL-SDR dongles but keep the prices low and with free shipping. We strongly believe that our V3 dongles are currently the best 'bang for your buck' RTL-SDR dongles available on the market. Please see the V3 features pdf datasheet here for full information on the improvements made, and our V3 users guide for information on using special features of our dongle. If you are new to RTL-SDR check out our about page first. Briefly, our dongles come with the following improvements:

SMA female antenna port – Generic dongles use the less common MCX or PAL antenna ports. SMA is more common, so more adapters and antennas are available for it. It is also more durable and has lower RF insertion losses.

Improved Antennas - We provide an excellent dipole antenna starter kit for newbies. Use the included mounts and extension cable to mount the dipole in good position for optimal reception. Receives terrestrial and VHF satellite signals.

Various additional improvements compared to other RTL-SDRs – R820T2 tuner, higher quality passive components, a choke on the USB line to reduce USB noise, a much improved PCB design for significantly less internal spurs and noise, various break-out pads, improved ESD protection, additional bypass capacitors and ferrite power line chokes, improved front end matching circuit and a better LDO.

US Shipping

International Shipping

Purchase on Amazon and receive FREE domestic shipping for orders over $25 and free two day shipping for Prime subscribers! Or use our international cart for FREE shipping from China.

FREE economy registered air mail from China! Paid express shipping from China also available. Pleasedouble check your address and enter it using English characters only (except mainland China customers please use Chinese characters).

Swiss/ePacket/HK Post: Similar delivery time frames as China Post (1-8 weeks), but generally on average at the faster end of that scale. Generally more reliable.

Fast Airmail: Typically goes via air cargo then to a local courier. These options are only available for some countries and are generally a few days to weeks faster (est. 1-5 weeks at most).

Express Mail: Shipped with DHL/UPS/EMS/Aramex. Fast delivery times to most countries, typically 1-2 weeks.Amazon:Amazon now offers international shipping for our products, shipped out of the USA. Countries geographically close to the USA may experience faster shipping if ordering on Amazon.eBay/AliExpress: We also have an eBay and AliExpress store. Our eBay account name is "rtl-sdr-blog", and on AliExpress it is "RTLSDRBlog Store" NO:4523039. Please be careful of other accounts with low feedback selling our items below the market price as these are scammers, and be wary of counterfeit V3 dongles.

Payment Options

We currently support PayPal, Credit Cards and digital currencies such as Bitcoin, Bitcoin Cash and Litecoin. Apple Pay is also supported via Stripe.

Christmas Delays: Please be aware that during the peak season (Nov - Jan) it is expected that parcels may be delayed. Thanks for your patience.
Restrictions:Note that we cannot ship to countries with active restrictions like Iran and NK. These orders will be cancelled.Canada: The international ban on mail to Canada due to strike action has now been lifted, but there are still serious backlogs that are predicted to last until the end of January. Due to a high risk of complaints, we will not restore the free economy service to Canada until the backlogs have cleared.

Counterfeit Warning

On marketplace sites like eBay/Aliexpress etc, opportunistic sellers are advertising all sorts of RTL-SDR dongles under our brand "RTL-SDR Blog". The dongles with blue, green or sharp rectangular silver cases with a yellow PCB are not ours. Those dongles use poorer quality components, are designed cheaply, and may not have all the V3 features. We cannot provide support for counterfeits. The best place to purchase RTL-SDR V3 dongles is directly from our store below, or the local resellers listed above.

The best value RTL-SDR on the market! Several improvements over generic brands including use of the R820T2 tuner, a 1 PPM temperature compensated oscillator (TCXO), SMA F connector, aluminium case with passive cooling, software switchable bias tee circuit, additional ESD protection, lower overall noise and built in direct sampling for HF reception.

Comes with our portable dipole antenna kit. Great for beginners as it allows for terrestrial and satellite reception. Easy to mount outdoors and designed for portable and temporary outside usage. Please do not use outside during poor weather conditions.

Our new portable Dipole antenna set with mounting kit. Allows you to more easily get the antenna up high and outside where reception will improve significantly. Dipole base mounts onto a standard 1/4" camera screw, so can be mounted on to a variety of already available mounts. Included is a flexible tripod and suction cup mount.

Designed for portable and temporary outside usage. Please do not use outside during poor weather conditions.

This is a modified RTL-SDR dongle made specifically for ADS-B reception (aircraft tracking - see our tutorial here). What makes it special is its built in 1090 MHz low noise figure LNA and SAW filter which significantly improves ADS-B reception. If you are mainly interested in ADS-B reception then this is one of the best dongles for the task. See our review of the unit here.

Produced by FlightAware.com for their aircraft tracking service and resold by us at RTL-SDR Blog with free shipping for international customers. USA customers can purchase it from directly from FlightAware on Amazon.

Amazon USA local in stock (Sold by FlightAware).
Chinese worldwide in stock.

This is a modified RTL-SDR dongle designed for low power consumption. It uses a switch mode power regulator instead of a linear regulator which results in about 100 mA lower power usage. The trade off is additional RF noise in VHF, though these have been designed carefully so the noise is actually LESS than most other 'nano' sized dongles.

Stratux RTL-SDR dongles are designed for use in ADS-B reception on small aircraft, but they can also be used by anyone requiring lower power usage. For example on solar powered Raspberry Pi units. Note that these units have no enclosure, and do not have a TCXO. When installing in Zadig these show up as "Low Power V2".

Produced by stratux.me and resold by us at RTL-SDR Blog with free shipping for international customers. US customers can purchase from Amazon directly from Stratux.

Amazon USA local in stock (Sold by Stratux).
Chinese worldwide warehouse in stock.

Blocks the broadcast FM band between 88 - 108 MHz with over 50dB of attenuation. Insertion loss is less than 0.5 dB between 0 - 1 GHz, and mostly less than 1.5 dB between 1 - 3 GHz. A broadcast FM block filter can help if you have very strong broadcasts in your area that are overloading the SDR dongle. Also known as "FM Trap". Note, for RX use only.

Designed to block the broadcast AM band between 500 kHz - 1.7 MHz with over 50 dB of attenuation. The 3 dB roll-off point is between 2.5 - 2.6 MHz. Works great with the direct sampling mode on our V3 dongles. This is a high pass filter and not a notch, so VLF will not work. Note, for RX use only.

This is a high performance filter and LNA combination for 1090 MHz ADS-B reception with 27dB of gain, a noise figure of around 1dB and over 60dB's of out of band attenuation. Designed to be used with bias tee power from our RTL-SDR Blog V3 dongles with the LNA mounted as close to the antenna as possible. It is triple filtered with a low loss high pass filter on the front end, and two 1090 MHz SAW filters placed in between and after the high performance low noise figure two stage MGA-13116 LNA. The triple filter design should help avoid dongle or LNA overload in noisy/strong signal environments.

This is a general purpose SPF5189Z based wideband LNA. Works from 50 MHz to 4 GHz with a noise figure of less than 1dB. Requires bias tee power, but there is an internal header which can be used to switch to external power, although you won't be able to use the enclosure in that case. Note if you're looking to improve ADS-B performance we recommend our Triple Filtered ADS-B LNA shown above.

Set of six SMA pigtail adapters with 20cm of RG316 cabling. Contains five SMA to female (Type N, UHF, BNC, PAL, Type F) adapters and one bonus SMA male to SMA male adapter which is often used to connect to devices like upconverters.

Set of six straight adapters with. Contains five SMA to female (Type N, UHF, BNC, PAL, Type F) adapters and one bonus SMA male to SMA male adapter which is often used to connect to devices like upconverters. Less loss than the pigtail adapters.

Great for if you have the older or other brand dongles that used the MCX antenna connector. Contains 6 MCX to female (Type N, UHF, BNC, PAL, Type F, SMA) adapters and one bonus MCX to SMA male adapter which is often used to connect to devices like upconverters. These do not fit onto our new SMA RTL-SDRs, these are for the older MCX style dongles.

A low cost compact and portable antenna set. The long wire antenna can be used for receiving HF signals, and the telescopic whip for VHF/UHF. Perfect for travelling with SDRs like the RTL-SDR, Airpsy or SDRplay.

This is a spare RTL-SDR V3 aluminum enclosure. Comes with two SMA side panels and a USB panel. It can be used to box home made filters or LNAs, the LNA4ALL, or a FlightAware dongle. Note that you may need to cut down the case length to customize the size depending on what you're putting in it.

The Hobbyist's Guide to the RTL-SDR: Really Cheap Software Defined Radio (Book)

A comprehensive guide to the RTL2832U RTL-SDR software defined radio by the authors of the RTL-SDR Blog. This book is about tips and tutorials that show you how to get the most out of your RTL-SDR dongle.

The paperback includes the eBook via the Kindle matchbook program. Amazon Prime customers can borrow the book for FREE. Also available for purchase from Amazon sites in UK, DE, FR, IT, ES, JP, IN, CA, BR and MX.

If you suspect a lost postal item please contact your local postal agency first and inquire there. Usually they have more information than we have. If they confirm it as lost or not received after a long time then please let us know at [email protected] and we can open an investigation on this side as well. Usually we must wait at least 6 weeks from the date posted before we can open a lost parcel investigation.

USA

For US customers we highly recommend purchasing our products from Amazon. Amazon will provide you with fast local shipping and shipping is free for orders over $35. If you are a Prime subscriber you also get free 2 day shipping.

US customers may also purchase from our international checkout and choose free shipping from China and we will send via priority air mail (ePacket EMS).

International (All countries outside the USA except sanctioned countries like Iran and NK)

Please enter your address using English characters only!

Please note that we have an approximate 1-2 day working day processing time before international parcels get shipped (even express orders).

Note that we cannot ship to internationally sanctioned countries such as Iran and NK. These orders will be cancelled.

International orders bought on our cart will be shipped from our warehouse in China. Shipping is free). Shipping can take anywhere from 1 - 8 weeks, but typically it is between 2 - 4 weeks. It will normally reach the higher end of the scale during the peak season which is the months surrounding December. Please note that delivery time is also highly dependent on the efficiency of the postal and customs agencies within your country, and please understand that this processing time is totally out of our hands. Countries such as South Africa, Italy, Canada, Brazil, and middle eastern countries are known to sometimes have extremely slow postal and customs agencies. If you need faster shipping please select an express option.

International buyers are reminded that as with any international parcel you are fully responsible for any duties or customs clearance fees required by your country, and that you take full responsibility for the legality of importing. If you have questions about the declared value and customs fees please feel free to contact us at [email protected]

Please watch the tracking information and contact your postal agency if there are any significant delays. If your parcel does not arrive within 4 weeks (6 weeks during December/Christmas period and for known slow countries) and the tracking looks stuck, then please contact us at [email protected] and we will open a postal investigation and resend or refund your item.

Express air courier shipping is also available but this costs much more and we only recommend this for larger shipments, or for countries that don't support priority air mail. With this option we will use either DHL, UPS, EMS or Aramex air couriers. Depending on your country your package should arrive within 2-8 business days with express shipping (plus a 1-3 working day processing time). If you wish to use this option then please select your country from the shipping options in the cart. Note that most express couriers will not deliver to a PO box and they may charge additional fees for duty/customs processing. Also please note that there is often a slightly longer initial processing time with express couriers, as they are often slow to provide us with the tracking information. You can expect the tracking info to be provided 1-3 working days after the "in processing" status is sent.

Note that depending on the weight, cost and destination country of your order we may upgrade your shipment to a faster shipping method for free. We will normally only do this for larger orders.

Shipping status meanings:

All shipping status updates will come through an email from PayPal. Please double check your spam folder if you're not receiving these emails.

'In process' means that your order and address information has been checked and sent to the warehouse and the parcel is being packed. A tracking number will follow usually by the next 1-2 business days.

'Shipped' means that the order has been shipped and can be tracked with the provided tracking number.

How do I track my shipment?

Please note that tracking updates may initially take a few days to start working after receiving the shipped status.

If sent via registered air, then mail will usually be sent either by postal services: China Post, China Post EMS Air Mail, Deutsche Post, Hong Kong Post, PostNL or Swiss Post. You can initially track the parcel on their respective websites, or on a universal tracking website like 17track.net. However, once the parcel enters your own country tracking on these sites may stop when the parcel is handed over to the local post office, who will usually attach their own tracking sticker. You can then track your parcel on your local post office website. In some countries you may need to call your post office to get an updated tracking number.

Product Support (Click to Expand)

If you have a general question about RTL-SDRs or SDRs we ask you to please ask in our forums.

If you need technical support please first ensure that you have been through our Quickstart guide and troubleshooting section further down on it, as well as our V3 users guide. Common questions like how to use the HF mode are explained on the V3 users guide.

If you have a question about shipping of an item please first read the shipping policy (above) and see if it answers your question. If it is a request for tracking details please first check your old/deleted/spam mails for the tracking email which is provided by PayPal. You should have two mails from PayPal. The first showing ‘in process’, and the second 1-2 working days after showing the tracking details.

If you suspect a lost postal item please contact your local postal agency first and inquire there. Usually they have more information than we have. If they confirm it as lost or not received after a long time then please let us know and we can open an investigation on this side as well. Usually we must wait at least 6 weeks from the date posted before we can open a lost parcel investigation.

For everything else such as lost postal items, warranty claims and support inquiries that aren’t covered by the quickstart or troubleshooting guide then please contact us at [email protected]. We aim to always reply within 1-2 business days.

Warranty Information (Click to Expand)

We will provide a one year warranty on any manufacturing defects. Please note that if you do any modifications to the PCB (e.g. soldering on it) then any warranty will be voided, so please ensure your dongle is working before trying these.

If you suspect a manufacturing fault please first ensure that you have been through our Quickstart guide and troubleshooting section further down on it, as well as our V3 users guide. Common questions like how to use the HF mode are explained on the V3 users guide.

If you've been through the troubleshooting guide and still suspect a fault please contact us through Amazon if you bought there, or email us at [email protected] if you bought from our cart. Be sure to include your order number and name. Please include details of the fault and a picture of the fault if it is physical damage. If the unit is faulty we will issue either a full refund or send a new unit out depending on your preference.

Wholesale Information (Click to Expand)

If you want to buy 10+ units please contact us directly at [email protected] for a wholesale quote.

Recommended accessories from other sellers

Antennas

Probably the most important part of a radio system is the antenna. There is no one size fits all antenna, every different design will have a trade off. For instance, wide band antennas can receive more frequencies, but will have less gain at any one particular frequency. If you want to receive everything then get a wide band antenna. If you want to receive one frequency with optimal reception, find a tuned narrow band antenna.

Discone Antenna

Discones are wideband antennas. This makes them ideal for the RTL-SDR as using a Discone will allow you to receive at almost any frequency with decent performance.

AmazoneBay

FlightAware ADS-B Antenna

A 1090 MHz ADS-B antenna from FlightAware. Is weather proofed and has 5 dB of gain. Uses an N-type antenna connector. See our review post for more information.

AmazoneBay

Inmarsat Active Patch

An active L-Band ceramic patch antenna with integrated LNA and SAW filter. This is an excellent antenna that can be used to receive Inmarsat, SafetyNET, EGC and AERO signals. It received from 1525 - 1559 MHz. As it is an active antenna, no additional LNA is required to make the RTL-SDR or other SDRs sensitive enough to receive these weak L-band signals. Required 4-5V bias tee power which can be provided by a RTL-SDR V3 dongle.

eBay

Upconverters

The lowest frequency an RTL-SDR can comfortably tune to is about 24 MHz. An upconverter allows you to use your RTL-SDR on HF frequencies which are between 0 - 30 MHz. They work by shifting frequencies between 0 - 30 MHz "up" by a fixed amount into a frequency range that is receivable by the RTL-SDR.

SpyVerter Upconverter

Currently we recommend the SpyVerter as the upconverter of choice. Although it was designed to be used with the Airspy, it works perfectly with the RTL-SDR. It uses a 120 MHz oscillator, has excellent filtering and can be powered via USB cable or via the bias-tee on our RTL-SDR Blog dongles. The SpyVerter uses an innovative new architecture that reduces overloading, has better SNR than other options and can operate all the way down to DC.

With the above performance and features, the included metal case and adapters and at a similar or even lower price compared to other upconverters we think this one is the best value. See our review post for more information.

Direct

SV1AFN Upconverter

An alternative to the SpyVerter is the upconverter designed by SV1AFN.

It based on the ADE-1 mixer chip, uses a 200 MHz oscillator, has good filtering and works almost down to DC.

eBay

Ham-It-Up Upconverter

Another recommended option is the Ham-It-Up Upconverter.

This one like the SV1AFN is also based on the ADE-1 mixer, but uses 125 MHz oscillator and is based on an open source design. There is also a metal case available on Amazon and eBay. However, currently we would recommend the SpyVerter or SV1AFN over this option.

AmazoneBay

RF Filters

RF filters connect between your antenna and RTL-SDR dongle. They help to significantly reduce out of band interference and noise which is very helpful when trying to improve signal strength.

118 - 138 MHz Air Band Bandpass Filter

If you are monitoring ACARS or air traffic signals then you may want an air band bandpass filter if you find that you have lots of interference from nearby stations such as FM broadcasts and Pagers.

eBay

FlightAware ADS-B Filter

FlightAware sell a very affordable ADS-B band pass filter. Many users have reported significantly improved reception when they started using this filter. This is probably the best filter to get if you are interested in ADS-B. See our review post for more information.

AmazoneBay

ADS-B HABamp LNA + Filter Combo

We also highly recommend the ADS-B HABAmp for receiving ADS-B signals. This is a filter + LNA combination that works very well and will significantly improve ADS-B performance.

We've tested these ourselves with the activatable bias tee in our units and found them to definitely work very well.

Direct

Adam's ADS-B/H-Line/FLARM Filters

Adam (9A4QV) also sells some good low cost filters for ADSB, Hydrogen Line Radio Astronomy or FLARM.

The Hydrogen line is a physics phenomona that can be observed with an RTL-SDR dongle and FLARM is a protocol similar to ADS-B but used more often with gliders and helicopters.

Direct

Multi HF Bandpass Filter

This product is great for if you are using an upconverter together with your RTL-SDR, or other SDR. Contains seven band pass filters that range from 1.6 - 2.5 MHz, 2.5 - 4.7 MHz, 4.7 - 7.5 MHz, 7.5 - 14.5 MHz, 14.5 - 21.5 MHz, 21.5 - 33 MHz and 33 - 56 MHz.

eBay

Low Noise Amplifiers

If you have long runs of coax cable then a low noise amplifier (LNA) can help to significantly improve your reception. Coax cable is lossy and the longer it is the more your received signal is attenuated. By adding an LNA near the antenna this loss can be reduced.

LNA4ALL

The LNA4ALL is a very affordable wide band low noise amplifier that is very commonly used with the RTL-SDR. Has the ability to be powered externally from any voltage between 6V - 9V, or with a simple modification with 3V - 5V in bias tee mode.

We have tested the LNA4ALL in bias tee mode with the activatable bias tee in our units and found it to work well.

Direct

Other LNA's

There are also several low noise amplifier circuits that can be found very cheaply for sale on eBay and most will do a good job. Unfortunately most don't provide a bias tee option like the LNA4ALL or HABamp does. Currently we recommend LNA's based on the SPF5189Z chip as they have wideband good performance, and are cheaply produced.

eBay

ADS-B HABamp LNA + Filter Combo

We also highly recommend the ADS-B HABAmp for receiving ADS-B signals. This is a filter + LNA combination that works very well and will significantly improve ADS-B performance.

We've tested these ourselves with the activatable bias tee in our units and found them to definitely work very well.

Direct

Outernet L-Band LNA

If you're wanting to receive Iridium or Outernet L-band signals then this is the best LNA for the job. It works between 1525 - 1559 MHz, with a gain of 34 dB. It has an on-board filter as well to remove out of band interference.

Must be powered via a bias tee, and works fine with the bias tee on our V1, V2 or V3 dongles. See our review post here for more information.

Amazon

Other Accessories

Active USB Extension Cable

Ideally you want to get the RTL-SDR dongle as close to the antenna as possible. Normal USB cables have a length limit of about 5m before they stop working, but with an active USB cable this can be extended up to 10 to 15 meters.

We recommend these Monoprice cables as they have been reported to work successfully with the RTL-SDR dongle.

AmazoneBay

RG6 Coaxial Cable

We recommend using RG6 coaxial cable for most links between your antenna and RTL-SDR. RG6 is low loss cable and it is also very cheap because it is used commercially with satellite TV installations.

RG6 is 75 Ohm cable. Note that the mismatch between 50 and 75 Ohm impedances is completely negligible for RX applications.

AmazoneBay

Clip on USB Ferrite Core

Noise and interference can sometimes be induced in the USB cable itself which can show up in the RF spectrum. To stop this noise use clip on ferrite cores on the USB cable. These cores help to suppress unwanted currents in the USB shield.

AmazoneBay

Raspberry Pi 3

A Raspberry Pi is a credit card sized computer that runs Linux, or even Windows. With it you can connect an RTL-SDR, run a server, and then remotely send a signal or processed data such as ADS-B aircraft locations back via WiFi or Ethernet cable.

AmazoneBay

USB OTG Cable

A USB on-the-go (OTG) cable is required to use the RTL-SDR on Android phones with software like SDR Touch and Wavesink. We recommend trying to find cables that come with power plugs so that you can use it with a power pack. Using an RTL-SDR can increase CPU usage which can quickly drain a mobiles battery.

AmazoneBay

9:1 Balun

If you are using a long wire or random wire antenna with a HF modded RTL-SDR or an upconverter you should use a 9:1 impedance transformer to get good SWR.

Recommended alternative SDRs

Airspy

We think the Airspy is the SDR with the best RX capabilities in the mid priced SDR market right now. It really shines when used in tough RF environments, such as those found in city and suburban areas. The Airspy is an excellent upgrade from an RTL-SDR dongle. Requires the SpyVerter upconverter add on to receive HF signals.

See our review post for a comprehensive comparison between the Airspy, SDRplay RSP and HackRF.

Direct

SDRplay RSP

Another good mid range SDR is the SDRplay RSP. This SDR is great value for the price and can receive HF frequencies without an upconverter, but it not as good as the Airspy when running in tough RF environments with many strong signals.

See our review post for a comprehensive comparison between the Airspy, SDRplay RSP and HackRF.

Direct

Nooelec Nano 2+

This is an alternative RTL-SDR to the version we sell. This RTL-SDR is very small and is great for using with portable equipment such as mobile phones and tablets. Costs more than ours, is much noisier and doesn't have as many features but it also comes with a TCXO.

AmazoneBay

E4000 RTL-SDR Dongle

The E4000 is more expensive as it has become rare since it has gone out of production. It has a frequency range of 52 – 2200 MHz with a gap from 1100 MHz to 1250 MHz.

The E4000 RTL-SDR dongle can still be bought from Nooelec on Amazon as well. Due to its rareness, the cost of the E4000 is slowly rising. These dongles used to sell for $20, but are now going for around $50-$100! Best to get them now if you need them before they sell out completely. Though note that for most cases an R820T2 unit is usually better.

AmazoneBay

HackRF One

The HackRF One is a relatively low cost TX/RX capable SDR. It is designed for radio experimenters and it has a very wide band frequency range from 1 MHz to 6 GHz, and a wide bandwidth of up to 20 MHz and an 8-Bit ADC. It is probably the most versatile SDR that exists at the moment, but in a compromise it does not have the best quality RX or TX performance. Thus it is perfect for experiments like reverse engineering and testing RF devices, but it is not intended to be used as a commercial radio or ham radio.

I currently use a run-of-the-mill Realtek dongle with a Raspberry Pi feeding data to FlightAware. Using the stock antenna (mcx connector). Living in BFE, I get mediocre reception. A radius of only 50-100 miles or so. Please recommend the specific components that I may start getting bomb-ass ADS-B reception. I live 50 miles from the Atlanta airport for Chrissakes but can never seen planes below 5000 feet. I don’t do Windoze, so it terrifies me to see references to SDR# (activating the bias-T power). I know I need the improved RTL-SDR and I like what I read about your 1090-optimized LNA/filter. What additional doo-hickeys do I need (antenna, cable, adapters, what-nots, ???) I just want to buy it all at once. Thank you in advance!

Hi,
I am looking for a directional antenna I can use and carry with me. I want to chase RFI, EMI in and around my house so I can figure out what it is and eliminate it. I want to do this with laptop, small USB SDR. But need some directivity. Would the dipole that comes with the dongle work reasonably well to get some directivity? I would think, but wnated to check with others…

A dipole is an omnidirectional antenna. You can put it into an L-shape to get some minor directivity, or add a reflector, but for this type of direction finding you really need a tighter beam from a yag type antenna.

When do you expect the “Broadcast FM Band-Stop Filter” to be in stock via Amazon (USA) again? It says here it’s in stock but it’s definitely not in stock on there currently. Trying to decide if I should wait a few days or order direct from China or something else.

Would it be any better to order it direct, or is that just going to run into the same manufacturing delay? If so, I might as well wait for it to return to Amazon. (I’ve seen it on eBay as well but I’m not sure that any of those are yours versus resellers… the few USA listings there are absolutely absurd).

If you’re willing to pay for express shipping, it’ll be faster to order from our intl. store as there is still a few left in stock there. Amazon still needs to wait for the stock to ship there, and for Amazon to process the shipment.

China will be restocked in about a week, but Amazon will take a little longer. So if you’re willing to pay for the faster shipping it will be faster from China. Regular shipping vs waiting for Amazon would probably be about the same.

Wonderful dongle to play with, thanks for your effort. Together with a pi it becomes a bit bulky though – would you consider designing and releasing an addon-board (HAT) like this, e.g. as a kickstarter? Would be very much interested in such a board!

Get an antenna and place it where a HAT would go on a RPi and look at the RF spectrum. The EMI from the RPi board would mean that the entire RF section of the board definitely would need to be inside RF shielding (adding additional €€€/$$$/£££) to attenuate the local noise.

And then there would be the data rate from the HAT to the RPi it would probably be limited to SPI throughput rates, which at guess might be in the range of 10 to 250 KSPS depending on the RPi model used (ref: http://abyz.me.uk/rpi/pigpio/faq.html#How_fast_is_SPI ).

And since the data would no longer be going over USB the device would no longer be a rtl-sdr device (no RTL2832 chip), so most the existing software would no longer work.

Maybe just use two “USB right angle converters”, if you need things to be more compact. might be an easier way to go.

I believe it’s a lot better to use a short USB cable to get the dongle in a better position, than to connect it directly to the Pi’s USB or with a HAT form factor. The reason is that 1) the Pi is really quite noisy in terms of EMI, 2) connecting it directly is not great for thermal dissipation especially if you’re connecting more than one USB device (you don’t want multiple devices blocking heat transfer near the dongle), 3) it’s not great for strain relief of the USB connector (if you drop it there could be damage). Either way, if you really want a hat style as Timmy said a simple right angle USB connector should do the job.

Nooelec has the NESDR SMArt XTR extended-range radio dongle that has a modern implementation of the old Elonics E4000 tuner in their current heat-stable enclosure and enhanced electronics. I’m not sure where they get their E4000 tuners but they’re the real thing and the hardware is otherwise the same as their flagship unit with the R820T tuner.

Got my metal case for my RSP1A today and i am very happy with the build quality and look and feel of the unit. Really does compliment the RSP and moving the antenna port to the rear of the unit is awesome. Thanks!

Hi Mel. I’ve got Win7 also. I’m betting your problem is that Windows’s DVB driver is getting in the way. You need a program called zadiag. Use it to replace the USB driver for the dongle with the libusb driver. Zadiag is available freely, just google it. After that HDSDR and SDR# should recognize the RTL-SDR. Good luck. Let us know how it goes.

Submit a Story/Contact

Meta

What is RTL-SDR

The RTL-SDR is an ultra cheap software defined radio based on DVB-T TV tuners with RTL2832U chips. The RTL-SDR can be used as a wide band radio scanner. It may interest ham radio enthusiasts, hardware hackers, tinkerers and anyone interested in RF.